Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Wendover

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Libraries of both Houses a copy of reports by (1) SDG, Nichols Group and KPMG, and (2) the Infrastructure Projects Authority, as independent reports of the mined tunnel options for HS2 in the Wendover area,as referred to in the letter fromNusrat Ghanito Wendover Parish Council on 15 October 2018.

baroness sugg: The reports in question were referred to in a letter from Nusrat Ghani MP to the Right Honourable David Lidington MP on 15 October 2018. The Government will not be placing copies of the reports referred to in the Libraries of either House. These reports are internal to the Department for Transport and are not intended for publication.

East-West Rail Link

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learnt from the performance of the Bicester to Oxford route operated by Chiltern Railways; and how might any lessons be applied to the proposed East West Rail scheme.

baroness sugg: The Bicester to Oxford route, which is operated by Chiltern Railways, continues to perform well with strong passenger revenue and growth on the route. The East West Rail Company has been established to challenge current delivery models whilst accelerating the delivery of robust infrastructure and reducing costs. The East West Rail Company are developing its operations strategy with recommendations for the Department for Transport. This is expected to incorporate lessons learnt from across the industry.

Trolleybuses

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will encourage urban stage carriage operators to re-introduce trolleybuses as part of their plans to meet their vehicle emission reduction targets.

baroness sugg: £220 million is available through the Clean Air Fund for local authorities with a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exceedance to help them fund measures to reduce harmful emissions, including measures to reduce emissions from vehicles. The re-introduction of trolleybuses is a matter for local authorities and operators to decide, should local authorities see them as a suitable measure to reduce vehicle emissions.

Railways: Timetables

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that railway timetabling takes account of the need for good connections between services run by different companies.

baroness sugg: The Department requires franchised operators to cooperate with each other to ensure that overall, the needs of passengers are met. This includes a requirement to offer a reasonable pattern of service such that connections between services can be made. Where specific connections are identified as being particularly important, the Department may specify their inclusion in franchise bids. Where a connection is required, a balance needs to be struck between allowing sufficient time to change trains, including during delays and maintaining an acceptable end to end journey time.

Exeter-Barnstaple Railway Line

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to secure improvements to the rail services between Exeter and Barnstaple.

baroness sugg: Great Western Railway’s plans for the Barnstaple route include the introduction of three-car air-conditioned Class 158 trains, improvements to the timetable to fill the current gaps in the peak hour services and splitting the route from the Exmouth service while continuing to service both Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central stations.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iraq: Islamic State

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unearthing Atrocities: Mass Graves in territory formerly controlled by ISIL, published on 6 November.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unearthing Atrocities: Mass Graves in territory formerly controlled by ISIL, published on 6 November, that from the beginning of 2014 until the end of 2017 ISIS committed atrocities resulting in approximately 30,000 civilian deaths and 55,150 injured persons.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unearthing Atrocities: Mass Graves in territory formerly controlled by ISIL, published on 6 November, that ISIS left 202 mass graves containing thousands of bodies.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraqabout the finding of the report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unearthing Atrocities: Mass Graves in territory formerly controlled by ISIL, published on 6 November, that that the Mass Graves Directorate has an insufficient number of experts to meet current needs.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraqabout the findings of the report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unearthing Atrocities: Mass Graves in territory formerly controlled by ISIL, published on 6 November, that (1) the Mass Graves Directorate is engaged in only one criminal judicial process, and (2) that it was not aware of any other mass grave sites being subject to of a criminal investigation; and what steps are being taken to bring the perpetrators of atrocities in Iraq to justice.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq on (1) their planned timeline for the exhumation, collection, transportation, storage, identification, and return of human remains to families, and (2) whether they plan to strengthen the Mass Graves Directorate, following the recommendations of the report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Unearthing Atrocities: Mass Graves in territory formerly controlled by ISIL, published on 6 November.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK welcomes the United Nations' 6 November report on Mass Graves, which underlines the scale of the horrific crimes committed by Daesh against humanity. We agree with the report's recommendations, including the pressing need for justice for victims and their families. It is important that the Government of Iraq allocates sufficient resource to this important task so that members of Daesh are held to account for their actions. The report will inform the work of the UN Investigative Team for the Accountability of Daesh in gathering evidence of Daesh crimes, for which the UK has provided £1 million in funding. UK officials in Baghdad regularly raise with the Government of Iraq the need to investigate missing persons and bring perpetrators to justice, but have not directly made representations about the number of criminal judicial processes it is engaged in nor about the planned timeline for exhumations. However, the UK and Iraq co-hosted a conference on 14 November in The Hague in order to discuss next steps on this agenda; attendees included UNITAD Special Adviser Karim Khan, the International Committee of Missing Persons and the Iraqi Chief Justice. The report makes clear the need to ensure that similar crimes are never committed again, and we are working closely with the newly elected Government of Iraq to address the conditions that led to Daesh's rise and ensure peace, stability and security for all Iraqis.

European External Action Service

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in those countries where there is not a resident UK ambassador but there is a European External Action service office or delegation, the UK representatives (1) participate in EU political co-operation meetings, and (2)are part of any resulting EUcommon approachto the host country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK currently remains a full and active member state of the European Union, with the rights and commitments this entails. Once the UK departs the EU, we will take forward an independent foreign policy. But working with the EU on foreign policy will remain important. The UK therefore is seeking a strategic partnership with the EU which facilitates close cooperation in foreign policy, defence and development. This will enable us to continue to work closely with European allies to tackle the common threats we face and to promote the values and interests that we share. This does currently, and could include cooperation in third countries.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As highlighted in the international electoral mission's reports, there remain significant shortcomings in the electoral system which must be addressed to build much-needed confidence in Zimbabwe's democratic process. It is vital that Zimbabwe's political leaders focus on moving the country forward, with all parties rejecting violence, upholding the rule of law, and putting the best interests of the country first.Zimbabwe faces its most serious economic situation since 2008, with simultaneous cash, liquidity and fiscal crises. Without fundamental reform, the economic crisis will deepen. The UK stands ready to play a role in support of Zimbabwe's recovery, but this must be on the basis of genuine political and economic reforms.

Brazil: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current political situation in Brazil following the election of Jair Bolsonaro; and what plans they have to maintain bilateral relations with that country, including future ministerial meetings with the President-elect.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​President-elect Jair Bolsonaro won democratic elections and has the mandate of the Brazilian people for the next four years. His transition team is currently working with President Temer's Government on preparations for the handover on 1 January. We understand this process is going smoothly. No Ministerial meetings are currently scheduled with the President-elect. Our Ambassador to Brazil previously met him during the campaign, as he did the other candidates, and since the election has met him as President-elect.

British Overseas Territories: Companies

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government which government departments will be responsible for providing financial and technical assistance to the British Overseas Territories to support the introduction of public registers of beneficial ownership, as established in section 51 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government will discuss any initial requests for support from the Overseas Territories with respect to the implementation of public registers during the Joint Ministerial Council, taking place in December this year. Subsequent to those discussions, officials will discuss which departments will be involved in providing financial and technical assistance.

British Overseas Territories: Constitutions

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 31 July (HL9677), which Overseas Territories have proposed a review of their constitutional arrangements with the UK; and what was their response to any such requests.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands have proposed amendments to their constitutions, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is analysing these. I will be discussing the proposals with individual Territory leaders in the margins of the Joint Ministerial Council taking place 4-5 December.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel about violence against Palestinian school children in the West Bank by Israeli settlers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made representations on this specific issue, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the issue of settler violence and the importance of accountability with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 29 October. The Government condemns any violence by settlers against Palestinians. We note the efforts of Israeli authorities to tackle settler violence, and urge thorough investigation of every instance to bring those responsible to justice. We have also stressed to the Israeli authorities the importance of Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population from settler violence and intimidation.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take to protect UNICEF’s protective presence teams who have been subjected to physical attacks, harassment, arrest and detention, and death threats while trying to protect Palestinian school children in the West Bank from Israeli settlers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK is concerned about the shrinking protection space for humanitarian actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and reports of violence and threats against their staff. UK officials are working with our partners and the EU to explore how best to address this growing challenge. We condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians and stress the importance of the Israel security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Israel: West Bank

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the killing of a Palestinian man in the West Bank village of Tammun by Israeli forces using live fire.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not discussed this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. ​We are concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians killed by the Israel Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We have repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about its conduct in its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and we encourage the Israeli authorities to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire has been appropriate.

Aisha al-Rabi

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the cancellation of work permits for the relatives of Aisha Al-Rabi, the Palestinian woman reportedly killed by stones thrown by Israeli settlers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. We condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians and urge the Israeli authorities to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice. We have also stressed the importance of the Israel security forces' providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Israeli Settlements

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem to make way for Israeli settlers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities and the Municipality of Jerusalem, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. These concerns include the evictions of Palestinians and demolition of Palestinian property, which cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, calls into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution, and, in all but the most exceptional cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.

Jerusalem: Churches

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the force used against Coptic Christian monks who were peacefully demonstrating near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we regularly encourage Israel to deploy security measures in a way which minimises tension and uses appropriate force. The UK supports the religious status quo in Jerusalem, and calls on all relevant parties to respect and uphold it.

Paris Peace Forum

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK was represented at the Paris Peace Forum hosted by President Macron on 11 November.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Lord Bates, Minister of State at the Department for International Development, led the UK delegation to the Paris Peace Forum.

Attorney General

Brexit: Northern Ireland

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the legal advice prepared by the Attorney General for the Prime Minister on the Irish backstopproposals for theBrexit negotiations; whether the full advice was made available to members of the Cabinet; and if not, why not.

lord keen of elie: The Government recognises the legitimate desire in Parliament, from Members on all sides and in both Houses, to understand the legal implications of the final Withdrawal Agreement. The Government will therefore make available to all members of Parliament a full, reasoned position statement, setting out the Government’s agreed legal position on the Agreement, including the Irish backstop proposals. The Attorney will also make a statement to the House of Commons and take questions. This will help to ensure Parliament has all appropriate information ahead of the vote on the final deal. We expect the Attorney General’s statement to be repeated in the Lords, with questions.

Department of Health and Social Care

Haematological Cancer

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of spending on treatment for and research into blood cancer in other countries compared to the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS England does not hold information on the level of spending on blood cancer treatment in other countries.

Medical Treatments: Expenditure

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 5 November (HL10893), what data they hold on on the amount spent by the NHS on (1) treatment, and (2) drugs for different health conditions.

lord o'shaughnessy: The information is not collected centrally in the format requested.NHS Improvement collect and publish reference costs data which are the average unit cost to the National Health Service of providing defined services to NHS patients in England in a given financial year rather than the total amount spent on treatment.As a subset of these reference costs, data is collected about high cost drugs only.

Department for International Development

Burma: Rohingya

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are concerned by the non-voluntary terms of the repatriation agreement for the Rohingya refugees between Bangladesh and Myanmar and the plans to implement the agreement on 15 November; whether they consider Rakhine state now to be safe for the Rohingya; and what assurances they have sought from both countries to ensure that the Rohingya will be able to return to their homes voluntarily.

lord bates: We are deeply concerned that Bangladesh and Burma have announced that they plan to begin repatriation of the Rohingya to Burma on November 15. We have stated publicly that we agree with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. The access required for necessary independent monitoring by UN agencies is also not in place. Minister Field has raised our concerns with the Bangladesh Foreign Minister and Burmese Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin on 1 November. He stressed the UK's assessment that conditions in Rakhine State were not currently conducive to refugee returns. We will continue to make representations to the governments of both Bangladesh and Burma not to commence returns while conditions in northern Rakhine remain as they are.

Syria: Overseas Aid

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the audit report by the Office of the Inspector General of the US Agency for International Development, Insufficient Oversight of PublicInternational Organizations Puts U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs at Risk, published on 25 September; and what plans, if any, they have to commission a similar audit of UK aid to Syria.

lord bates: DFID has robust and extensive controls in place to ensure that tax payers' funds are used appropriately and effectively; that UK aid reaches those who need it and that it does not benefit extremist groups. As with other DFID programmes, our work in Syria remains under constant review and scrutiny, both through internal and independent processes, including by the National Audit Office and Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which last audited DFID’s Syria humanitarian programmes in May 2018.

Department for Education

Children: Crime Prevention

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what education programmes (1) are in place, and (2) they intend to put in place, to enable schools and families to engage with children to prevent their becoming involved in criminality, gangs and violent behaviour.

lord agnew of oulton: On 9 April 2018, the Home Office published a new ‘Serious Violence Strategy’, available in the Libraries of both Houses, including 61 recommendations spanning cross government departments to take action to address serious violence, and in particular, the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The strategy puts a stronger emphasis on steering young people away from violence, helping them to change their behaviour and actions before they reach the stage where they are at risk of entering the criminal justice system.The Department for Education is making relationships education compulsory in all primary schools, relationships and sex education compulsory in all secondary schools and health education compulsory in all state-funded schools. Under the new reforms, the draft guidance, attached, sets out that pupils should develop positive, respectful relationships, including with their peers; and that violence is never acceptable. The draft guidance also covers awareness of violence and exploitation by gangs, as well as criminal exploitation, for example through gang involvement or ‘county lines’ drugs operations. Citizenship education also helps to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society – including an understanding of the role of law and the justice system in our society and how laws are shaped and enforced. In addition, the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, attached, sets out the legal duties that all schools must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.



HL11407_draft_guidance_relationships_education
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HL11407_Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education__3_Sept
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Children in Care

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quality of available residential care for vulnerable children; and what effect, if any, the withdrawal of grants to local authorities by 2020 will have on the quality of provision.

lord agnew of oulton: Ofsted, as the independent regulator, undertake regular inspections of all children’s homes in England to make sure homes are complying with statutory requirements. In 2017, 82% of all children’s homes were rated good or outstanding following their inspection, while only 3% received a judgement of inadequate. Homes that are judged to be inadequate are subject to twice-yearly inspections; if there is no improvement, the home may be removed from Ofsted’s register and required to close.Local authorities have access to council tax, business rates and other funding to deliver their local services. Over the five-year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20, local authorities will have access to more than £200 billion to deliver these services, including children’s residential care.Autumn Budget 2018 made an additional £410 million available to be spent on adult and children’s social care, and a further £84 million in targeted, evidence-based interventions to transform local services. These interventions will reduce demand, save money for councils, and most importantly, improve the quality of services for vulnerable children.

Ministry of Justice

Probate: Fees and Charges

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice on 5 November (HCWS1066), what assessment they have made of the estimate by the Institute for Legacy Management that the proposed rise in probate fees could cost charities £10 million a year in lost legacy income.

lord keen of elie: We acknowledge the benefit of assessing this impact and we are already aware of the assessment made by the Institute for Legacy Management. As far as we are aware, the Institute for Legacy Management have not shared the detail behind their data with us. However, we would be very happy to carefully consider any detail behind the assessment should they be open to sharing this with the department.

Ministry of Defence

Patrol Craft

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government at how many days readiness Batch 1 River-class offshore patrol vessels are held; and whether such vessels are fully manned when held in readiness.

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to deploy Batch 1 River-class offshore patrol vessels after Brexit.

earl howe: It is Ministry of Defence policy not to publish details of the readiness states of individual Royal Navy vessels or types for the purpose of safeguarding national security.The Noble Lord will be aware of the Secretary of State's announcement, on 22 November, 2018 that we will retain the three Royal Navy Batch 1 Offshore Patrol Vessels, for at least the next two years. HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn will forward-operate from their namesake rivers - from Newcastle, Liverpool and the Cardiff area respectively - safeguarding UK waters and supporting fishery protection.

Navy

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there are sufficient numbers of sailors, marines and airmen in the Royal Navy.

earl howe: The Royal Navy continues to meet its commitments worldwide.Like many employers, it faces challenges in retaining technical expertise. This is being addressed through a range of schemes including direct entry into specialist trades, flexible working and opportunities for our Maritime Reserves to serve at sea to make sure we attract and keep the skilled personnel required.The details for current staffing levels for Service personnel in the Royal Navy on the Full Time Trained strength against the Workforce Requirement can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2018

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byEarl Howe on 12 November (HL11303), whether variants other than the F-35B will be ordered after the initial tranche of aircraft.

earl howe: Decisions on the precise details of subsequent tranches and variants will be taken at the relevant time to ensure the most appropriate capability and the best value for money.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who are yet to be moved to Universal Credit as part of the natural migration process; and what support will be available for vulnerable claimants, including those who have disabilities, during this process.

baroness buscombe: We are unable to forecast the number of people who are yet to naturally migrate to Universal Credit. This is because Natural Migration claimants are those who have had a relevant change of circumstances that would cause a new claim to be made to a different legacy benefit, but they cannot make such a claim to legacy benefits because these have been replaced by UC. We take seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants moving to Universal Credit. Work Coaches provide continuous support for all claimants, including vulnerable claimants throughout their journey.Additionally we have introduced a number of measures to assist claimants during the transition to Universal Credit including: the removal of waiting days; the UC Transitional Housing payment; Universal Support; 100 per cent advances and a longer repayment period.

Home Office

Refugees: Children

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied minors (1) are permitted to resettle, and (2) have been resettled, in the United Kingdom in each month since the introduction of the Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme announced in April 2016.

baroness williams of trafford: The Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) resettles ’at-risk’ refugee children from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including their families. Our aim is to resettle up to 3,000 people (children and families, where the child at risk is part of a family unit) through the scheme by 2020.The scheme does not solely target unaccompanied children, but on UNHCR’s advice also extends to vulnerable ‘children at risk’, such as those threatened with child labour, child marriage and other forms of abuse or exploitation. It is open to all at risk groups and nationalities within the region. There is therefore no specific quota on the number of unaccompanied children who may be referred to, or resettled through, the scheme.The numbers resettled in a particular period depend on a range of factors in-cluding the flow of referrals from UNHCR in the field and the availability of suitable accommodation and care packages in the UKThe latest quarterly Immigration Statistics show that, as of June 2018, a total of 883 people had been resettled through the VCRS. The statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018. (see table attached for futher information).



Sponsorship - June 2018 - Tables 
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Sir Edward Heath

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any estimate had been made of the cost of any review of Operation Conifer.

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to commission an assessment of the cost of a review of Operation Conifer.

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered commissioning a review of Operation Conifer.

baroness williams of trafford: Estimates of cost were not made, as Government has concluded that there are no grounds to justify review or intervention with regards to Operation Conifer.

Asia Bibi

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received an application for asylum from Asia Bibi; and if so, what was their response.

baroness williams of trafford: As the Prime Minister set out on 14 November, the release of Asia Bibi will be very welcome news to her family and to all those who have campaigned in Pakistan and around the world for her release. We welcome the assurances the Government of Pakistan has given on keeping her and her family safe and it is important that all countries seek to uphold the rule of law and afford security and protection for the rights of all citizens irrespective of faith or belief.It is a longstanding Government policy not to comment on individual cases. In accordance to our duty of confidentiality, we cannot confirm whether an asylum claim has been received or the outcome of such a request. Departing from this policy may put individuals and their family members in danger.

Asia Bibi

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received a request on behalf of Asia Bibi to be granted asylum in the UK; and if so, what was their response.

baroness williams of trafford: As the Prime Minister set out on 14 November, the release of Asia Bibi will be very welcome news to her family and to all those who have campaigned in Pakistan and around the world for her release. We welcome the assurances the Government of Pakistan has given on keeping her and her family safe and it is important that all countries seek to uphold the rule of law and afford security and protection for the rights of all citizens irrespective of faith or belief.It is a longstanding Government policy not to comment on individual cases. In accordance to our duty of confidentiality, we cannot confirm whether an asylum claim has been received or the outcome of such a request. Departing from this policy may put individuals and their family members in danger.

Immigrants: Detainees

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Office collects data on the number of immigration detainees referred to the National Referral Mechanism as potential victims of trafficking; and if not, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office record the number of all individuals referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and this information is published Quarterly by the National Crime Agency. This information does not distinguish between those detained under immigration powers and those living in the community.The reason for this is two-fold, firstly because the NRM referral is not an immigration route by which individuals should regularise their stay in the United Kingdom and secondly, because a person’s status in immigration detention is not permanent and can change. The use of immigration detention in all cases is subject to regular reviews and consequently, a change in circumstance may result in a different consideration. It is quite possible that an immigration detainee is referred to the National Referral Mechanism during a detention period and is released into the community at any point during that process.

Immigrants: Detainees

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many immigration detainees were referred to the National Referral Mechanism as potential victims of trafficking in each year from 2014; and, of those, how many received a positive reasonable grounds decision in each year.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office record the number of all individuals referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and this information is published Quarterly by the National Crime Agency. This information does not distinguish between those detained under immigration powers and those living in the community.The reason for this is two-fold, firstly because the NRM referral is not an immigration route by which individuals should regularise their stay in the United Kingdom and secondly, because a person’s status in immigration detention is not permanent and can change. The use of immigration detention in all cases is subject to regular reviews and consequently, a change in circumstance may result in a different consideration. It is quite possible that an immigration detainee is referred to the National Referral Mechanism during a detention period and is released into the community at any point during that process.As in the response to HL11381, the Home Office do not hold centralised records of immigration detainees referred to the National Referral Mechanism. As such, this information could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

Police: Biometrics

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government which provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations police forces rely on when processing photographs taken by the police using facial recognition technology.

baroness williams of trafford: The police process personal data for law enforcement purposes under Part 3 of the Data Protection Act 2018. ‘Law enforcement purposes’ is defined in the Act as processing for the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties including the safeguarding against and the prevention of threats to public security.

Crimes of Violence: Young People

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of cuts to the budgets for youth and community services on rates of knife and violent crime.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of having absent fathers on young people who are involved in knife and gun crime.

baroness williams of trafford: The Serious Violence Strategy sets out our analysis of the drivers of serious violence and risk factors of involvement in violent crime. There are a range of complex factors behind the recent increases in serious violence, and the analysis in the strategy sets out that a major factor has been changes in the drugs market.The strategy also sets out the key risk factors which may mean a young person may have a greater propensity to get involved in crime than would otherwise be the case such as school absence, peer pressure and family circumstances.

Youth Services: Finance

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to allocate additional resources for local youth and community services provision to reduce knife crime and other violent crimes; and if so how those resources will be allocated.

baroness williams of trafford: Our Serious Violence Strategy sets out the Government response to violent crime and includes a number of commitments to provide support to young people and communities to help prevent them being drawn into violent crime in the first place including providing £1.5m through our (anti-knife crime) Community Fund and £17.7m to 29 projects through our Early Intervention Youth Fund.  In addition, we recently announced a new £200m youth endowment fund which will provide support over the next 10 years for those young people most at risk of serious violence. This is in addition to resources the Government has already committed through the Troubled Families programme, the National Citizens programme, and the Trusted Relationship Fund.

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Companies

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many requests for beneficial ownership information have been made by UK law enforcement to each British Overseas Territory and Crown Dependency under the Exchange of Notes agreement to date, by month

baroness williams of trafford: This information is not routinely collected. When the government reviewed the Exchange of Notes arrangements earlier this year after six months of operation it had been used to request information from the Crown Dependencies and relevant Overseas Territories more than 70 times.This is described in a Written Ministerial Statement of 1st May 2018 (HLWS641). These arrangements represent an important capability to UK law enforcement and have enhanced operational activity. The government will conduct a statutory review of these arrangements by summer 2019, at which point details on the number of requests will be provided.

Cabinet Office

Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learned from measures to improve social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being undertaken by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

lord young of cookham: There are a number of similarities in what Wales are currently doing in relation to the Future Generations Act, and what the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) proposes to do within the Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill, which they will publish before Christmas. This includes setting out environmental principles in primary legislation and monitoring the application of the principles. However, the main focus of the Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill is to be broadly equivalent to the governance provided by Europe relating to the environment and this is wider than just considering principles. We have learnt a great deal from the good work that Wales has done on the Well-Being of Future Generations Act and will continue to do so as we develop our policy statement on the principles as well as wider considerations on environmental governance. This includes reflecting on how the legislative framework is set out and the outcomes that they seek to achieve.

G20: Buenos Aires

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the Prime Minister’s key strategic priorities for the G20 Leaders’ Summit taking place in Buenos Aires on 30 November–1 December 2018.

lord young of cookham: The Prime Minister will attend the G20 Summit to discuss a range of global issues and meet with leaders.The G20 will be an opportunity to push for progress on shaping the rules governing the global economy and advance UK priorities such as ​agreeing ​an ambitious and urgent process for reform of the World Trade Organisation, making the global economy work for everyone, climate change and Modern Slavery.

Treasury

Tenants: Credit Rating

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that where tenants share the payment of rent, their individual payment histories will be taken into account by (1) credit reference agencies, and (2) credit service providers.

lord bates: The Government believes it is right that a history of paying rent should be recognised in credit and affordability assessments carried out by credit reference agencies and credit service providers. That’s why, at Autumn Budget 2017, we announced the Rent Recognition Challenge: a £2million competition seeking technology solutions to enable tenants to record and share their rental data. The credit reference agency Experian recently announced that rental payments will now be reflected in their credit score reports, and has partnered with some of the Challenge’s participants, Credit Ladder and Canopy.

Electronic Publishing: VAT

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the application of VAT to e-publications but not to physical publications does not disadvantage, in terms of price, readers who rely on digital content.

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the application of VAT to e-publications but not to physical publications does not discriminate against readers from anysocial backgrounds.

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the application of VAT to e-publications but not to physical publications does not have a negative impact on the growth of the UK's digital sector and the use of digital technologies.

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of VAT on digital (1) books, (2) magazines, and (3) newspapers to public institutions in the last (a) year, and (b) five years.

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government how muchVAT on digital (1) books, (2) magazines, and (3) newspapers was paid by all Government departments in the last (a) year, and (b) five years.

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of the removal of VAT on digital (1) books, (2) magazines and (3) newspapers.

lord bates: The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT on e-publications. Policy development also includes consideration of equalities impacts. HMRC does not hold detailed information about the VAT paid on specific products by government departments or public institutions. The Government is committed to making the UK the best place to start and grow a digital business and we are taking action to ensure innovative firms can access the skills, investment and infrastructure they need to thrive. Last year, jobs in the digital sector grew at twice the rate of those in the wider economy.

VAT

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) advice is available, and (2) guidance has been given by HMRC, to VAT-registered businesses on how to implement the changes in VAT reporting obligations that will come into force on 1 April 2019.

lord bates: In July, HMRC published a package of resources on GOV.UK, including a VAT Notice providing guidance on the requirements of MTD for VAT. This provides comprehensive advice for businesses and agents. HMRC’s ‘Help and support for Making Tax Digital’ page on GOV.UK brings all of HMRC’s digital support products for MTD together.HMRC is also writing to all businesses expected to be mandated, to ensure they are aware of their new obligations.

Business: Investment

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 4 April 2017 (HL6630), what assessment they have made of the ONS release,Business Investment in the UK: April to June 2018 revised results, which showed that business investment fell by 0.2 per cent in the last quarter and by 0.7 percent compared to a year earlier; and, in the light of that release, whether they still expect that by 2021 business investment will (1) grow by 15 per cent, and (2) rise as a share of GDP.

lord bates: We have made no specific assessment of this release.In the 2018 Budget, the Government announced measures that are expected to affect business investment. These include the introduction of a permanent structures and buildings allowance and a temporary increase in the annual investment allowance for 2 years. These measures, in conjunction with the reduction in the writing down allowance for the special rate pool of assets are expected to increase the level of business investment by 0.4 per cent by the end of the forecast period.In its October 2018 forecast, the independent OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) expect business investment to increase by 8% between 2016 Q4 and 2021Q1 and for business investment to rise as a share of GDP.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Government Departments: Procurement

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage more (1) social enterprises, (2) charities, (3) mutuals, and (4) co-operatives to apply for and win government contracts; and what consideration they have given to strengthening the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

lord ashton of hyde: With the Cabinet Office, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently implementing a package of measures for the future of social value and procurement. This includes training for government commercial staff and will help unlock more opportunities for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. This work is part of government's long term ambition to grow social value commissioning and strengthen the Social Value Act as set out in the Civil Society Strategy.Officials are working with Claire Dove, VCSE Crown Representative to ensure that VCSE’s have a powerful voice in both commissioner and supplier communities.

Public Libraries

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of public libraries on (1) inclusive economic growth, (2) learning and skills, (3) health and well-being, (4) digital literacy, (5) business support, and (6) poverty prevention.

lord ashton of hyde: Public libraries play an important role in giving everyone opportunities to improve their life chances and achieve their full potential. They support individuals, communities and society by providing access to books and information, bringing people together and providing them with support and guidance at every stage of their lives. The Libraries Taskforce, jointly established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Local Government Association, published Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021 in December 2016. This strategy sets out seven strategic outcomes that libraries support, along with information and evidence about the impact they have in relation to:cultural and creative enrichmentincreased reading and literacyimproved digital access and literacyhelping everyone achieve their full potentialhealthier and happier livesgreater prosperitystronger, more resilient communities The Taskforce reviews progress against the Ambition aspirations and action plan annually. DCMS continues to work with the Libraries Taskforce and its member organisations to support the libraries sector. This includes developing and strengthening the evidence base on the impact of public library services on the outcomes, and to encourage good practice and innovation in achieving these aims. DCMS also advocates the value and contribution of public libraries across central and local government.

Museums and Galleries: Copyright

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ashton of Hyde on 12 November (HL11086), which stated that "Complaints about charges for re-use by museums and galleries may be referred to the Information Commissioner for a binding decision”, whether this is consistent with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)’s Guide to RPSI, which states that it “can issue a decision notice, unless the complaint concerns charges above marginal cost, in which case we make a non-binding recommendation”, and the ICO’s Decision Notice FS50619465 of 4 April 2017, which states that it can “only make recommendations in respect of any charges levied under the RPSI.

lord ashton of hyde: The Information Commissioner’s (ICO) guidance summarises the general issue of charging for re-use, but does not go into specific details beyond this. Regulation 19 of RPSI states that in the case of bodies subject to regulations 15 (3) (a) or (b), complaints about re-use charges are subject to recommendation only by the Information Commissioner and appeals against recommendations can lead to a binding decision at tribunal. Museums and galleries’ charging falls under regulation 15 (3) (c), meaning that the usual redress route of a binding decision by the Information Commissioner applies. The ICO have confirmed they will be updating their guidance to make this clear.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker who tendered for the contract to supervise by-elections for hereditary peers; and which tender was successful.

lord mcfall of alcluith: ERS, Kanto Elect and UK Engage responded to the invitation to tender. ERS was the successful applicant.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the overall cost, including the cost to the House Authorities, of the contract to supervise by-elections for hereditary peers; whether that cost is paid annually or per by-election; and whether the cost is dependent on the number of candidates or electors.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The costs are paid per by-election. Costs vary according to the number of electors. The current cost of a whole House by-election is £1440; a Labour or Liberal Democrat by-election costs £570, and a Conservative or Crossbench by-election costs £600; all costs are inclusive of VAT. This is in addition to the cost of House of Lords staff time spent organising the by-election which forms part of their normal duties and is not costed separately.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether arrangements will be made to enable members of the House who wish to observe the count of the votes cast for the hereditary peer by-election scheduled to take place on 27 and 28 November.

lord mcfall of alcluith: A member of the relevant party or group is appointed to act as scrutineer at each count, and this will happen on 28 November when the votes (all of which will be cast by post) will be counted. There is no count on 27 November. There are no plans to make further arrangements to enable more members of the House to observe the count of the votes cast.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether media access will be granted to the count of votes cast for the hereditary peer by-election scheduled to take place on 27 and 28 November.

lord mcfall of alcluith: There are no plans to provide for members of the media to be present to witness the count on 28 November. There is no count on 27 November.

Hereditary Peers: By-elections

lord grocott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether media access will be granted to the hustings for the hereditary peer by-election scheduled to take place on 20 November.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The arrangements for hustings are a matter for the party or group concerned.